Max Knives MKO19 — Large OTF automatic, aluminium and carbon fibre

Overview

The MKO19 is the long version of the front-opening knife: a 137 mm handle, an 88 mm blade and 225 mm in total once the push button is pressed. Double action handles both the launch and the retraction under the same control, with no need to touch the blade. That blade, in 2.5 mm 3Cr13 steel, carries a semi-serrated double edge. The handle combines aluminium with carbon fibre and takes a glass breaker. A belt clip, a lanyard hole and a nylon sheath round out a piece meant for belt carry rather than the bottom of a pocket.

Carbon fibre: a fabric locked in resin

Carbon fibre is not a metal but a composite: carbon filaments woven flat, stacked in several layers, then flooded with a resin that cures and locks everything in place. Its reputation comes from that marriage: very stiff for its mass, indifferent to corrosion and, above all, recognisable at a glance thanks to the chequered pattern the weave forms under the polished surface. Every scale is therefore a one-off pattern, since no two pieces are cut from the same spot in the cloth. On the MKO19 it dresses an aluminium chassis that takes the strain of the front-opening mechanism: the metal provides the structure, the composite the grip and the character.

Technical specifications

An 88 mm blade in 3Cr13 steel, 2.5 mm thick, with a semi-serrated double edge. A 137 mm handle in aluminium and carbon fibre, fitted with a glass breaker. Opening is automatic and out the front, of the OTF double action type, driven by a push button that also retracts the blade. Overall length open: 225 mm. The knife has a belt clip and a lanyard hole, and is supplied with a nylon sheath.

Care

Carbon fibre asks for no more than a soft cloth and a little soapy water: keep harsh solvents and abrasives away, as they dull the surface resin and kill the shine of the weave. On the mechanical side, cycle the blade empty from time to time to catch any unusual roughness, and clear the track of the fibres and dust that settle there. A film of fine oil on the steel after every damp outing is enough to look after the blade, and the clip screws deserve a regular check on a knife of this length.

Legal notice. Age-restricted item (18+). In France this knife is a Category D item: legal to sell but reserved for adults, with age verification at checkout. Automatic and OTF knives are restricted or prohibited in many countries — the United Kingdom, Germany and several US states among them. It is the buyer's responsibility to check the law that applies where the order is delivered before purchasing.